So, once again, the kind folks at Autostraddle asked me to review another episode of “Orange Is the New Black.” And, of course, I had to get the one with Larry’s White Ass. Of course I do.
[Spoiler Alert: Yo, stop reading if you aren’t past 512.]
As the penultimate episode of the season, “Tattoo You,” was – strange. Strange because they decided to stop all of a sudden to give us a love story. And a love story many people have long since lost interest in at that. Ahem. Though, I guess it only makes sense they’d throw in a Hail Marry romance in the same season there was a slasher movie episode. But, yeah.
Anyway, share your thoughts – agree, disagree, and/or anything in between – over in the comments. Find the review here.
I’m not sure if you’ve been watching the new season of “Orange Is the New Black” yet or not. I have been. But I will say this is the first season I haven’t binged all at once in one weekend. I still have the final four episodes to watch. The kind folks over at Autostraddle have asked me to a review a couple of the episodes. The first one is of episode 506 – you know, the one with the Cheetos. (Appropriately named “Flaming Hot Cheetos, Literally.”) You can check out my review here.
While the season may have some real tonal and thematic problems (and, it does), I did appreciate how the episode evoked – even if only for a moment – the emotions so many of us have felt about the state of our world. In explaining her grief about Poussey, Soso also described – intentionally or more likely not – the kind of grief many of us feel about what’s happening in America. Or, at least it did for me. Everyone is different and everyone responds to art different. And that’s kind of the beauty of the thing.
Anyway, I’d appreciate if you gave it a read and feel free to agree or disagree with me in the comments.
So today “The Handmaid’s Tale” premieres on Hulu. And I highly, highly recommend you watch. But I will also freely admit that it is difficult to watch. Dystopia cuts the deepest when you can see, with terrifying clarity, exactly how we got there. And in these times, dystopian futures feel ever present.
One of the exciting things about the new series is how it has taken a classic feminist masterpiece and expanded it to be an intersectional work. It has centered characters of color and LGBTQ characters, and made their stories integral to the overall narrative. Much credit goes to Alexis Bledel as Ofglen and Samira Wiley as Moira for creating two of the most empathetic figures in the story so far. You will root and weep for them, in equal parts.
Unfortunately, Autostraddle has decided against doing weekly recaps of the series as previously planned. But, I did review the first three episodes, which were released to critics and now available streaming today. You can read it here now and I hope you join the conversation. Because this is a show that deserves conversation – and contemplation. I know I’ll be watching, and thinking, and hoping for a better future.
Just a reminder, folks, that I am still recapping “The Good Fight” over at Autostraddle. This coming Sunday is the first season finale. But you can catch up on all the recaps here. And, I’d love it if you did. Also, it’s a smart, smart show and I think you’ll like it – I really do. And, man, has it been fun to recap. Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s had some issues, particularly with the disappearing girlfriend. She’s back now, I hope for good. And there have even been some lady kisses. Mostly I am glad such a sharp, female-focused show that hates Donald Trump almost as much as I do is on the air. People always say loving the same things makes for a strong relationship. And that’s true. But it sure doesn’t hurt to hate the same things, too. Thanks for reading my recaps. One left, kittens.
If you were to distill “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” down to one scene, it would be the beginning of “The Gift.” The fifth season finale opens with a teenage boy running for his life into a dark alley. Behind him a vampire stalks, ready for the easy kill. And then a side door opens and this young blond woman pops her head out casually. The boy begs her to get help, or run. The demon thinks she’ll make a nice snack. She then proceeds to summarily kick his ass and save the boy. The cowering teen looks at her afterward bewildered and says, “How’d you do that? … You’re just a girl?” That’s right. Underestimate girls at your own peril, monsters.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” turns 20 today, and it will go down in history as a show with a silly name that demanded we take women and girls seriously. The silly name, you see, was very much the point. The series was always about defying people’s expectations, specifically those placed on women and girls.
Over at Autostraddle several of the writers celebrated the show’s anniversary and discussed what the show meant to them, yours truly included. You can check it out right here.
What Buffy means to women, smashing the “just a girl” paradigm, is intricately bound to what Buffy means to me as a gay woman. Buffy was the first show to show me what it meant to fall in love as a gay woman. Not just what it meant to come out, not just what it meant to be gay. But what it meant to find someone you liked, fear they might not like (or love like) you, realize they do and then rejoice in your love. It was intoxicating to watch every week. It was, in so many ways, a lifeline. A validation that you weren’t the only one feeling those extra flamey feelings – or wanting to feel those extra flamey feelings. Yes, there was the whole tragic death at your true moment of happiness thing.
Buffy was also the first show to get me into TV fandoms. It was the first online community that I embraced and made me understand the power of loving a show together. Yes, I was a member of the Kitten Board. Hell, I even bought a T-shirt.
So for all those reasons, and for so many more, Buffy will always be the chosen show in my life. And it is a reminder that there is never such a things as “Just a girl.” We’re all extraordinary, in our own ways. And can – if given a chance – save the world. Maybe even a lot. Happy weekend, all.
Hey, hey, hey. Guess what? No, sorry, everything since November hasn’t been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad dream. But! Here is something I hope you will find not so terrible and maybe even good. I’m recapping again. Yes, indeedy.
The kind folks at Autostraddle are having me write recaps for the new CBS All Access show “The Good Fight” (a spinoff of “The Good Wife). So far the show is essentially TGW but without Carol Hathaway, Big or BAMF Kalinda. Instead it has Ygritte, more POC and lesbians. So, not a terrible trade in my book. The show premiered on Sunday and the first recap is up now at Autostraddle. If you’d be so kind, I’d love you to pop on over and have a look right here.
More not horrible, very exciting news – I’ll also be recapping “The Handmaid’s Tale” for them when it debuts on Hulu in April.
This is all very exciting and I’m thrilled to become part of this smart, vibrant and inclusive community.
